I love the new advertisement for ?? is it WalMart? It may not be the most successful ad, since I cannot remember what it is for, but I love it anyway.

We are all raised with an idea of what beauty is. My mother tends to use the word pretty for all kinds of things. “Doesn’t she have a pretty face?” “That shirt is pretty.” “There’s a pretty rock.”

Conversely, anything she does not like is ugly. “That sausage tastes ugly.” “That yard is ugly.” Etc.

My idea of pretty is a bit off from my mothers. I think that Whoppi Goldberg is one of the prettiest actors (I guess using actress is not PC.) around. But, somehow judging say, Nicholas Cage, on a pretty scale is just wrong. Now, if you want to talk Viggo Mortensen——.

I have painted portraits professionally for over twenty years now, and I think all faces are beautiful. I love Whoppi’s smile. It makes her beautiful. Some people have beautiful eyes. Some have beautiful wrinkles. Honest!

And, I love to watch that commercial because every one of those people is beautiful, and so are you!

P.S. Right now, I’m looking in the mirror and reminding myself that I have always thought wrinkles were pretty.